How Celine Dion Became Couture's Unexpected Fashion Darling
We're calling this a Dionaissance.
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While Dion has shown a commitment to couture before, her interest in left-field labels has earned her serious style kudos. We're talking about her love of Balenciaga, Vetements, Givenchy, Balmain and Off-White. For a commercial celebrity known for power ballad, this was an unexpected twist.
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Dion hired Law Roach a year ago, who introduced her to the avant-garde designers she's worn of late. She contacted the self-described 'image architect' after seeing his work with Zendaya, who he also styles. 'Fashion is supposed to be polarising,' Roach said. 'Everybody's not supposed to like everything you do. If that does happen, it's boring for me.'
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Drake recently called Dion an 'icon' and said he wanted to get a tattoo of her. There's nothing hipsters and indeed the fashion world love more than irony – just look at the popularity of Vetements' Bieber merch hoodies and their sell-out DHL T-shirts. Last year, Dion endorsed the brand and showed her sense of humour by wearing one of its oversized Titanic hoodies. Her recent London show dates were attended not only by middle-aged men and women, but also by twenty-somethings who enjoy the nostalgia and irony in listening to such mainstream music.
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The fashion world has a reputation for being a little po-faced – restraint, minimalism and seriousness are all key if you want to be part of the industry's echelons. Dion is the polar opposite. Her reaction to Giambattista Valli's show finale is case in point. Positioned next to the coolly solemn Anna Wintour, the singer jumped up and down whooping and threw herself round the designer as he took his post-show bow. Refreshingly, she couldn't care less about looking 'cool' or fitting in, which is perhaps what makes her 'cool'. This is the woman who created a fragrance that smelt of wet dog because, inexplicably, it's her favourite smell. Dion is unapologetically herself – enthusiastic, eccentric and fun.
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A recent interview uncovered the depth of Dion's interest and dedication to fashion. She keeps a master file divided into mini files of pages torn from magazines, circles looks from collections' special issues, turns down pages, and gets annoyed when a look or accessory is not produced and the sample is un-buyable. Dion has an encyclopaedic knowledge of fashion.
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Imagine Dion in tracksuit bottoms and a baggy T-shirt. You can't because it would never happen. Like Lady Gaga and Rihanna, her wardrobe choices are bold, big and dramatic. They don't dress like mortals; they're pop stars and dress accordingly.
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Dion is 49, which in fashion terms is over-the-hill, regardless of how many token mature women luxury labels cast in their campaigns. It would be patronising to congratulate Dion for wearing thigh-high Balenciaga boots and leather Dior dress because of her age. It's not mad to think that anyone over the age of 30 is buying luxury items – after all, they're the people with the salaries to afford them. Nonetheless, it's glorious to see a 49-year-old refuse to conform to the ageist expectations of her.
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Dion's long-standing manager and husband of 21 years died of cancer in January 2016, following three years of having a feeding tube in his stomach. She abandoned her work in 2014 to care for him full-time, while tending to her three children. When he died, she showed them the animated film Up to help make sense of their loss – explaining that their house would stay on earth while there father went 'up' with his loving home metaphorically protecting him. Dion has not had an easy ride, which helps us emphathise and relate to her despite her iconic status. We're all rooting for her.
We're calling this a Dionaissance.